Well, I am here in Long Island attending graduate school. For this blog, I try to gather marine and environmental related news and post them here, and add my two cents where I deem appropriate. Enjoy!

Friday, January 05, 2007

January Blooms!

Hello everyone... this was an email I received from from a colleague from the MSRC at Stony Brook, its some pretty interesting info, but also scary info...

Perhaps you have noticed trees and flowers blossoming around yourneighborhood. Attached are some images from New York City centralPark from a colleague there. Daffodils and irises are sproutingeverywhere. Forsythias bushes are erupting in yellow flowers,somethingnormally seen there during the last week of March. Below is some moreclimate info. Long-Range models are suggesting perhaps at least a briefreturn to some more normal temps early next week, but we'll see....Brian

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENTNATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE UPTON NYTHE MONTH OF DECEMBER IN CENTRAL PARK NEW YORK WAS VERY MILD ANDQUITE DRY. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH CAME IN AT 43.6DEGREES WHICH IS 6.3 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL AND THE THIRD WARMESTDECEMBER ON RECORD IN NEW YORK CITY. THE WARMEST DECEMBER ONRECORD WAS BACK IN 2001 WHEN THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS 44.1DEGREES. THE SECOND WARMEST WAS IN 1984 WITH AN AVERAGE OF 43.8DEGREES.

THE LAST TIME THAT WE HAD A DECEMBER WITHOUT MEASURABLE SNOW INCENTRAL PARK WAS IN 2001. WHAT MAKES THIS DECEMBER RARE IS THAT NOTEVEN A FLURRY HAS BEEN OBSERVED. WE HAVE TO GO BACK INTO THE 1800`STO FIND A DECEMBER WITHOUT A FLURRY (TRACE OF SNOW). WHILE RECORDSFROM THE 1800`S MAY NOT BE TOTALLY ACCURATE IN TERMS OF TRACEAMOUNTS OF SNOW...AS BEST WE CAN TELL THE LAST TIME WE HAD ADECEMBER WITHOUT EVEN A TRACE OF SNOW(FLURRIES) WAS BACK IN DECEMBER1877.

ON AVERAGE...2006 WAS WARM AND WET IN NEW YORK CITY. THE AVERAGETEMPERATURE CAME IN AT 56.8 DEGREES...WHICH IS 2.1 DEGREES ABOVENORMAL AND GETS PLACED IN THE TOP TEN WARMEST LIST AT SIXTH PLACE.THE FIVE WARMER YEARS WERE 1998...1991...1990...1953 AND 1949. THEWARMEST YEARS ON RECORD ARE 1998...1991 AND 1990 WITH AN AVERAGETEMPERATURE OF 57.2 DEGREES.

2006 WAS THE SIXTH WETTEST YEAR ON RECORD WITH 59.90 INCHES FALLING.THAT DOESN'T COME CLOSE TO THE WETTEST YEAR WHICH WAS 1983 WITH AWHOPPING 80.56 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION.

HERE'S SOME CLIMATE INFORMATION FOR OTHER CLIMATE SITES AROUND THEREGION FOR 2006.

2006 was the Earth's sixth warmest year on record, averaging 0.4C abovethe 1961 to 1990 average, according to the World MeteorologicalOrganization. The records extend back to 1861. And the UK charted itswarmest year ever; its records go back to 1659.

1 comment:

Jason
said...

Thought this was a clever production from the WWF in Canada: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unG_zDbosyI

About Me

I am a marine biologist that is currently attending graduate school at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Marine Sciences Research Center, of Stony Brook University, New York. I am very interested in marine ecology and have been focusing my studies on bay scallop interactions with their habitats. I plan to investigate various anthropogenic impacts on bay scallop populations for my PhD dissertation. This blog will highlight the details of my graduate research, from bay scallop-eelgrass interactions as previously mentioned, to alternative habitats for scallops, such as Codium, to trophic cascades, and more. Enjoy!